Ammolite Gems and Jewelry

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About Me

I lived for some time in Southern Alberta right in the middle of Ammolite country right beside the operating mines.
I became fascinated by the gemstone and decided that I would turn this fascination/hobby into a business when I retired in Nova Scotia.
Today I market Ammolite and reasonably priced good quality Ammolite jewelry over the internet to a growing clientele around the world.
I am pleased particularly to locate unusual high end gemstones not easily available to the public for those that want the finest for ther collections.
These select gemstones do not come up for public sale.They are bought directly from my artisan/cutter/finishers on site in Alberta.
Contact me to discuss your needs.

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Blog Archive

Thursday, November 11, 2010

An ammolite triplet is a sandwich of three parts creating a durable gem using the gem itself as the central layer.This central layer is cemented to a hard backing material and the top is covered with a clear protective layer often made of quartz or spinel but occasionally of inferior materials such as crystal or plain old glass.

Many buyers are completely unaware of how their triplet has been created.

I recommend buying only the quartz or spinel varieties as those who create fine triplets use only the finest materials.

An ammolite triplet,while not the highest form of ammolite,was created for use in jewelry because natural ammolite is unsuitable for some items,particularly rings,due to the natural gems inherent fragility.

Ammolite triplets should be cared for gently as they can be damaged by exessive exposure to water which can cause separation of the layers and destruction of the triplet.Cleaning should be done occasionally with a damp cloth--never an ultrasonic cleaner.

Many triplets are destroyed by setters who do not understand the gem and put too much pressure on the prongs holding the gem.This can also cause delamination and destruction of the gem.I learned this painfully when I first started setting triplets and have even seen experienced jewellers unfamiliar with ammolite triplet characteristics destroy them.

Ammolite triplets made with fine quality ammolite are extraordinarily beautiful gems and in their best form are commanding ever increasing prices.It is common for triplets to sell for more than $1 per square millimeter.Thus an unset 15x20mm stone of good quality often retails for more than $300.

Ammolite fanciers in the know look for triplets with at least three good colours and in my case, I collect those and go one step further.

I particularly collect gems that have that "something extra",perhaps a rare colour,a rare combination of colours or a rare colour pattern.I look for pinks and purples as part of the colour palette as they are the rarest and often have unusual set jewelry you can see containing ammolite gem stones with these rare qualities in my Ebay Shop http://stores.ebay.ca/Ammolite-Gems-And-Jewelry

Here is an image of a gorgeous set triplet set in gold and topped with a diamond accent.
Note that it has 'that something extra"---a bright note of hot pink!

“It has been buried for the past 71 million years absorbing a substantial amount of both the Earth’s and the universe’s positive cosmic energy. It radiates this energy in every colour of the visible spectrum enhancing well-being and reducing the body’s toxicity of those that own it”

“Not only does it bring balance to a person’s body, but also to a person’s surroundings. When it is worn or when the stone is placed in the home, it promotes a happy family, and when it is placed in the office, it promotes good business dealings. In essence, anyone who finds or possesses Ammolite is entitled to wondrous prosperity and good fortune."

Don’t believe in Feng Shui? ----That’s OK! ----- Many own Ammolite just for it’s rarity and beauty!

Some folks are creating Ammolite collections for investment purposes against the fact that Ammolite is becoming a rarer commodity every day.

Once current supplies are depleted, no commercially viable deposits are known to exist.

This situation is believed to be why prices of quality Ammolite have risen so dramatically over the last decade.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Once upon eons ago, North America did not exist as we know it today. Instead there was a mighty sea that cut most of modern North America in half, north to south.

In this mighty sea roamed the ancient Ammonite, a squid like creature that lived in a shell shaped much like a ram’s horn.

Records show that this creature lived from 100 million years ago until about 70 million years ago at which time some cataclysmic event caused their extinction. The mighty inland sea bed was littered with the shells of ammonites which were gradually covered by sediments and then subjected to all the pressures that deeply buried materials go through in the process of forming rock and fossils.

Now, the Ammonite was living all over the world prior to its extinction and much of it would be preserved as rather dull coloured fossils and would be unearthed as such in many spots on the globe.

In one tiny spot on the globe, in Canada, in the province of Alberta within sight of the majestic Rockies and just north of the Montana border, there was something special about the Ammonites slumbering in the shale along the St Mary River. Nature had, with the help of just the perfect combinations of pressure, heat, time and minerals, created the most rare and amazingly beautiful precious stone in the world.

These ammonites had fossilized and become one with their host shale rock host to create the most colourful and varied gem material on the planet.

And only in this small spot.

Mankind had discovered the stone earlier on as ancient aboriginal legends tells of how the stone had mighty hunting medicine associated with it. Ancient hunters added it to their talismans to ensure that they could locate and successfully hunt buffalo.

The beauty of the stone was remarked on by early explorers but it wasn’t until the 1980’s that local Alberta entrepreneurs realized that this stone was of gem quality and efforts got under way to mine and process it as actual gem stones for jewelry. In 1981 the gem was recognized as such by the CIBjO [Coloured Stones Commission] and in 1985 by the province of Alberta as its official gemstone.

The world’s rarest and most colourful gemstone had arrived and it was to be known as Ammolite.

Today there are just two recognized and legal gem mining companies in operation, both of which produce fine gem stones. There are also fine stones produced by a small group of others who have legal claims operating in the gem zone although their production is quite small.

Ammolite is mined by small open pit mining digs where the material is unearthed and sorted. Most of the material is unusable as gem material and only a small fraction of that makes it to the cutting tables.

Ammolite is said to be in very short supply and once the material along the St.Mary area is exhausted, there is no other known commercially viable gem quality material deposits known to exist.

This limited supply has created upward pressure on prices. The main producer, Korite international reports that Ammolite prices have increased by 250% in the last 10 years to 2008

Ammolite has a curious effect on humans the first time they see it and only a small fraction of humanity has seen it so far. Many just have to possess it! Few can ignore it!